Researchers, among others Lars Eklundh, Anna Maria Jönsson and Hongxiao Jin, have concluded that during the last 16 years, the arrival of spring has occurred one full day earlier for every third year on average.

Satellite image analysis shows that this has had a measurable effect on vegetation growth, which is occurring earlier for every year. Researchers now warn that this may have unpredictable consequences for the ecosystem.

New species may invade, and recurring ecological events may fall out of sync with each other, such as flowering and the availability of pollinators.

The article was published in International Journal of Biometeorology, and can be found here.

Lund University has also published a longer article about this in Swedish, featuring an interview with, among others, Lars Eklundh, Professor at our department.